With the start of the 2013-14 NBA season rapidly approaching, we thought it only fair to share what makes each team so exciting. Ontologically speaking, all 30 teams deserve our eyeballs this season. Even disastrous lineups still present oodles of plays, personalities, highlights and headaches. Here are five things to keep in mind for each team before flipping the channel.

Next up, a Houston Rockets team with a new center you might have heard about.

“Houston, we have liftoff.” The Houston Rockets and their fans are in for an exciting year, picking up where they left off last season. A plethora of young talent and superstar James Harden played an effective brand of basketball last season. This year, they will become even more insurmountable after the blockbuster addition of Dwight Howard. If that is not enough of reason for you to watch Houston play basketball this year, read on.

Continuing with Dime’s season previews â€” as I carve another mark in the wall next to my bed for every day that’s gone by before the beginning of the NBA season â€“ lets take a ride out west to the Texas triangle. Our journey next arrives at the city of Houston where there’s Dwight Howard, NASA, and a professional basketball team.

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Dwight Howard is Happy!
This may sound a little erroneous, but for the first time in years, Dwight Howard is happy with his scenery situation, which will correlate with his effort of play. Last year, fans were deprived of Howard in the playoffs. His defensive playmaking skills and athleticism make him one of the most talented players in the NBA. The expectation this year is Howard and James Harden can carry their team as far as the NBA Finals if they gel as a team.

Watching Howard at the receiving end of alley-oops and cleaning up missed shots will play well with Rockets fans, who have a history of rallying behind some great centers in year’s past.

If Dwight is kept happy while running pick-and-rolls with Harden then the Rockets will have another ace defensive presence in the post, a rebounding machine, and someone to draw attention inside to leave wing shooters open. It’s a good fit, as long as Dwight stays happy, which is never as simple as it first seems.

James Harden…and his Beard

If last year didn’t force you to believe James Harden is one of the top shooting guards in the NBA, it won’t take long this year to make you a believer. Harden proved he can carry the scoring load when needed, averaging 25.9 PPG and dishing out 5 assists as well. Entering his fifth year, it’s only just begun for Harden as the potential he’s shown in OKC and Houston continues to blossom.

With a better team around him this year, Harden should be set on getting the Rockets out of the first round, and to the NBA Finals. Whether he can mesh well with Howard will go a long way towards that goal, but so far it looks to be a good connection. It was Harden that took the #GotEm picture of D-12 above.